'' 


U.s DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

• « « 

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE 

E. E. PRATT, Chief 


1 


POTASH PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA 


AND 


POTASH FROM KELP 


BY 


THOMAS H. NORTON 

i 

Commercial Agent of the Department of Commerce 


I Reprint from Commerce Reports for June 12 and 19, 1915] 



f-Zlo 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1915 























/ 








D. of D. 
OCT 26 1915 










J 

r j ) 







POTASH PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA. 





[Commerce Reports, June 12, 1015.] 


With the cessation in the customary import of potash salts from 
Germany and the danger of this interruption being prolonged in¬ 
definitely, there is renewed interest in the possibility of securing a 
supply of the much-needed compounds from domestic sources, and 
especially from our Pacific States. 

Attempts to develop a domestic potash industry are more ad¬ 
vanced in California than in any other section. No less than six 
companies are actively engaged in this field. (A list of these firms 
may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com¬ 
merce.) 

MINERAL SOURCES. 


Two companies are seeking to extract potash from mineral de¬ 
posits within the State. These deposits contain frequently relatively 
high percentages of potash, but not sufficiently high to warrant 
transportation without previous concentration. This factor of trans¬ 
portation presents the most serious difficulty in the whole problem, 
as the chief demand for potash as a fertilizer comes from the east¬ 
ern half of the country, and very largely from the Gulf States. 
The California State Board of Mines expresses strong doubts as to 
a possible profitable exploitation of the deposits in the southeastern 
section of the State on account of their remoteness from existing 
conveniences for transportation. 

The most promising source of potash is in the saline deposits at 
Searles Lake in San Bernardino County, where the American Trona 
Co. has erected a development plant and is actively investigating the 
methods proposed for effecting a complete commercial utilization of 
the vast supply of raw material in sight. The deposits are not only 
rich in potash but contain, also, borax, common salt, sodium sul¬ 
phate, and sodium carbonate. The manager of the company is hope¬ 
ful of putting potash salts on the market within a few months. 

Deposits in the Imperial Valley, to the east of San Diego, are re¬ 
ported as offering some hope of satisfactory commercial development, 
when projected rail connection is established in 1916. 

One California company, which has expended $150,000 in studying 
the possibilities of finding potash in workable quantities in Nevada, 
has abandoned the quest and reports that there is no promise of ever 
securing a supply from that State. 

POTASH FROM ALUNITE. 

It is worthy of note in this connection that active experiments have 
been conducted by large chemical works in Ohio for the industrial 
extraction of the potash present in the alunite of Marysville, Utah. 
These experiments,.performed on carload lots, show that the method 

8417°—15 3 


4 


POTASH PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA. 


used is technically satisfactory. The high cost of railroad trans¬ 
portation from Utah to the Atlantic seaboard is at present a serious 
obstacle in marketing the sulphate of potash obtained in Utah, in 
direct competition with potash salts of German origin, on the basis 
of the rates hitherto current. The erection of the requisite plant at 
Marysville for extracting the sulphate has been begun, and it is 
probable that a suitable market will eventually be found for the 
product in the Central States. There is a large consumption of 
potash salts on the sugar plantations of Hawaii, and this market 
would also be open to the Utah products. It is stated that powerful 
fertilizer interests in Chicago are backing financially the effort to 
exploit the alunite deposits of Utah. 

POTASH SALTS FROM KELP. 

The utilization of the enormous masses of seaweed growing off the 
Pacific coast seems to offer better chances of solving the potash 
problem. Considerable doubt is expressed by engineers, who have 
carefully studied the methods thus far employed to develop the kelp 
industry, as to the possibility of its becoming a serious factor in the 
production of potash salts. 

The leading company engaged in the extraction from kelp is, 
however, quite confident of its ability to build up the industry on a 
substantial commercial basis. It is now manufacturing regularly a 
crude potassium chloride ranging in strength from 85 to 95 per cent 
of pure KC1. This is all sold for use as a fertilizer. The present 
output is 1 ton per day. Prospective enlargement of the plant will 
double this output. 


HARVESTING KELP. 

The raw material, the giant kelp of the Pacific coast, is gathered 
systematically in various ways. One method is to 6ut the kelp 6 to 
8 feet below the surface of the sea by means of rotating knives. 
The loosened kelp is allowed to float ashore or brought ashore in 
barges. By another method the cutting is effected by the aid of 
reciprocating knives 16 to 18 inches below the surface, and the kelp 
is conveyed by endless chains upon barges. In a third method the 
cutting takes place at a depth of 8 to 10 feet. Horizontal knives 
are used in connection with an underswinging endless chain. 

The most satisfactory device is based upon the principle of the 
ordinary hay mower. A horizontal scythe blade, of about 10 feet in 
length, is flanked at both extremities by vertical blades, about 4 feet 
long. The three cutting systems, having a stroke of about 4 inches, 
are operated by a gasoline engine on a flat-decked barge. The frame¬ 
work supporting the cutting machinery is lowered into the water to 
a depth of about 4 feet. It carries an endless belt consisting of coarse 
fish net stretched over chains. This conveys the kelp as fast as it is 
cut on board the barge. A motor launch propels the latter through 
the kelp beds at the rate of 4 miles per hour. 

On the barge the kelp is discharged from the endless belt into a 
hopper and passes through a set of revolving knives, which cut it 
into small pieces about 6 inches in length. From this chopper the 


POTASH PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA. 


5 


kelp is discharged into an open barge, which is towed ashore and 
unloaded at the factory. -Such a device harvests over 25 tons of 
kelp per hour and seems to have satisfactorily solved the problem 
of the economic gathering of the raw material. The entire cost per 
ton of wet kelp landed at factories is now less than 20 cents. 

DIRECT USE OF KELP. 

Wet kelp contains on an average 4 per cent of potassium chloride. 
It can advantageously be used as a fertilizer, and is so used to an 
increasing extent along the Pacific littoral. 

Air-dried kelp contains about 15 per cent of potash (K 2 0),'2 
per cent of nitrogen, and 1.5 per cent of phosphoric acid. It is 
readily pulverized and is of equal value as a fertilizer with equiva¬ 
lent amounts of potash in the customary form of chloride and sul¬ 
phate. Taking all factors into consideration—cost of production, 
cost of handling, and physical properties—dried powdered kelp 
seems to be the form in which a substantial commercial demand can 
be most quickly secured. It will rapidly appeal to the manufacturer 
of mixed fertilizers. 

PREPARATION OF POTASH SALTS FROM KELP. 

There is as yet no standard method for extracting the potassium 
chloride of kelp on an industrially profitable scale. The American 
Potash Co., which has a plant of some size at Long Beach, uses a 
44 secret process,” by which it expects to place upon the market iodine 
and various other by-products, as well as technically pure potassium 
chloride. 

In kelp potassium chloride and sodium chloride are present usually 
in the proportions of to 2. They constitute the bulk of the mineral 
constituents, but are accompanied by small amounts of calcium and 
magnesium salts and of iodides. The separation of the two chlorides 
from the organic residue constitutes the chief difficulty to be over¬ 
come. 

Filtration methods applied to green kelp have not been successful, 
as the absence of filler permits much of the organic matter to pass 
through the filter medium, causing the latter to be quickly clogged. 
Diffusion methods, similar to those used so satisfactorily in sugar 
manufacture, have beep tried. Thus far they give no promise of 
industrial application. 

More success is indicated by experiments now in progress to coagu¬ 
late the organic tissues of kelp, and thus permit easy filtration. 

It is worthy of note in this connection that a process recently pat¬ 
ented in Great Britain offers a new method of overcoming the diffi¬ 
culty mentioned above. According to the British Patent No. 1,766 
of 1915, issued to Beborg, Testrup and Techno-Chemical Laboratory, 
kelp is reduced to pulp, and then forced by pressure through a heater 
at a temperature sufficiently high to destroy the slimy, water-binding 
constituents. The pulp is then cooled and pressed. In the effluent 
water are found nearly all of the potassium and sodium salts orig¬ 
inally present in the kelp, as well as the iodides. 

Once removed from the plant, the separation of potassium chloride 
from sodium, chloride is comparatively easy. It is based upon the 




6 


POTASH PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA. 


tact that the potassium salt is much more soluble in boiling water 
than is the sodium salt, while the reverse is the case at ordinary 
temperatures. Alternate crystallizations of saturated solutions, first 
in a hot vat and then in a cool vat, would result in the accumulation 
of potassium chloride in the latter and of sodium chloride in the 
former. Concentrated mother liquors could be treated for the recov¬ 
ery of iodine. 

Assuming a satisfactory solution of the coagulation problem, this 
combined industry would produce pure potassium chloride, pure 
sodium chloride (table salt), potassium iodide, and a cattle food from 
the residual kelp, containing 4.5 per cent nitrogen. 

EXTENT OF THE KELP SUPPLY. 

The area of the kelp beds along our Pacific coast, including Alaska, 
is nearly 400 square miles. It is estimated by Government experts 
that the annual cuttings, including two cuttings per annum off the 
coast of southwestern California, would yield 59,000,000 tons of 
kelp. This is equivalent to 2,300,000 tons of potassium chloride. 

The value of this quantity of potassium chloride, if marketed at 
ante bellum rates, would be about $90,000,000. If, however, the kelp 
crop were dried and sold at normal prices for both potash and nitro¬ 
gen content, its value would exceed $150,000,000. 

The imports into the United States of potash salts for the fiscal 
year ending June 30, 1914, were: 



Toms. 

Value. 

Muriate of potash (potassium chloride).;. 

237,890 
92,000 
45,140 
1,580 
526,000 
261,000 

87,915,000 
615,000 
1,898,000 
115,000 
2,580,000 
2, 757,000 
978,000 

Carbonate of potash.^. 

Sulphate of potash. 

Nitrate of potash (crude saltpeter). 

Kainit_T....... 

Manure salts.. 

Other potash compounds. 

Total. 



16,858,000 




It is evident that any extended successful development of the in¬ 
dustrial extraction of potash salts from the vast kelp beds would 
ultimately place this country in a position to cover not only the large 
domestic demand for these compounds, but to^neet German competi¬ 
tion in other lands, more especially in supplying the wants of coun¬ 
tries on the Pacific. 

GROWING SCARCITY OF POTASH SALTS. 

The u potash famine” is already being felt almost as keenly as the 
“ dyestuff famine.” Since February 1 but one cargo of German 
potash has been received in an American port. In the meantime the 
demands of fertilizer works for their customary supplies have become 
increasingly insistent. 

Potash salts, which sold currently a year ago at $38 per ton, are 
quoted September, 1915, at $300. Over 20,000 tons of potash salts, the 
property of American firms, purchased before the recent embargo on 
German exports, are now interned on three steamers in German ports. 
The release of these cargoes is the subject of negotiations between 
the American and German Governments. 























POTASH FROM KELP. 


[Commerce Reports, June 19, 1915.] 

The Bureau of Soils in the Department of Agriculture has issued 
a most timely and important monograph on the kelp beds in the 
Pacific found off a large proportion of our littoral, including Alaska. 

The report in question bears the title “ Potash from Kelp,” and 
is prepared by Dr. Frank K. Cameron, who has the supervision of 
chemical, physical, and fertilizer investigations. It presents in com¬ 
pact form the results of an enormous amount of marine exploration 
and analytical work in the laboratory. Nothing has been omitted 
which is requisite for an adequate knowledge of the extent of the 
beds, the local characteristics, the percentage of potash and other 
valuable constituents present, the facilities for exploitation, and all 
the other factors which may eventually come into play, in any at¬ 
tempt to utilize on a generous scale, the great possibilities of this 
magnificent national asset. 

The report in question is based upon the results obtained in 191‘2 
and 1913 by four well-equipped survey parties cruising in sailing 
craft or motorboats. One party investigated the entire seacoast of 
Washington, Oregon, and California, extending its researches along 
Lower California. Another was occupied with the beds in Puget 
Sound. A third devoted itself to the archipelago off southeastern 
Alaska. The fourth party studied the waters about Kodiak Island, 
Ivenai Peninsula, and western Alaska generally. 

In all cases the beds have been carefully charted and the relative 
values of the different stands estimated. The total tonnage of annual 
crops for each locality has been closely approximated, and the condi¬ 
tions under which harvesting can be pursued have been noted, 


NATURE OF KELP. 

The general results of this noteworthy survey may be summarized 
as follows: 

Among the many varieties of algae (seaweeds and rockweeds) 
growing along the Pacific coast three are of pronounced commercial 
importance, containing large amounts of potash and occurring in 
vast quantities. These are Macrocystis pyrifera (California kelp), 
Nereoci/stis luetkeana (bull kelp or bladder kelp), and Alarm fistu- 
losa (stringy kelp). Some other varieties contain higher percentages 
of potash, but occur only in scattered groups or are not available for 
other technical reasons. 

The three varieties differ widely in appearance and in peculiar 
characteristics, as evidenced by the nature of the surroundings in 
which they flourish best, depth of water, resistance to breakers or 
ocean swells, attractiveness to certain animal enemies, etc. In gen¬ 
eral they all have a holdfast, a group of tentacle-like branches not 
unlike the roots of land plants, by which they are anchored to rocks 
or some other relatively immovable substance. The stem rises from 


7 


8 


POTASH FROM KELP. 


the holdfast to the surface, terminating in the "float, a hollow 
organ of thick, fleshy walls, filled with air, and in consequence re¬ 
maining on the surface of the sea. The fronds or leaves extend from 
the float. The tissues of kelp contain little or no fiber. They are 
easily crushed to a pulpy mass, and in this condition pass through 
ordinary filtering materials. 

Stems of Macrocystis average 100 feet in length, but lengths of 
1,000 feet are encountered. The leaves are usually 14 inches long. 
Alaria has very short stems, but the leaves average 40 feet in length. 
Both of these varieties are perennials. Nereocystis is an annual. 


VALUE OF KELP. 

The amounts of soluble salts and nitrogen compounds present in 
the various beds of the same kind of kelp vary very largely. Thus 
in different samples of Macrocystis potash varies from 3.1 to 27.7 
per cent; nitrogen from 0.53 to 3.17 per cent. The averages of a 
great many analyses are as follows: 

Macrocystis.— 12.59 per cent; N, 1.57 per cent; iodine. 0.23 per cent. 

Nereocystis. —K 2 0, 20.1 per cent; N, 1.9 per cent; iodine. 0.13 per cent. 

Alaria. —K 2 0, 9.1 per cent; N, 2.G per cent; iodine, trace. 

Dried kelp contains ordinarily about 15 per cent of potash, 2 per 
cent of nitrogen, and 1.5 per cent of phosphoric acid (P 2 0 5 ). It 
serves admirably as a manure alone, and can be used most advan¬ 
tageously in the manufacture of special and* complete fertilizers. 
The harvesting of kelp, as practiced thus far, by “mowing” the beds 
at depths of 12 feet or less (usually 4 to 6 feet), is followed by a 
rapid reproduction of the plants in the case of the perennials, very 
much as is the rule with clover or alfalfa. Along the southern sec¬ 
tion of the coast two cuttings annually are quite practicable without 
affecting the permanent value of a bed. Nereocystis is not harvested 
until the spores are well ripened. Otherwise enough plants must be 
left in each bed to insure reseeding. 


DISTRIBUTION OF KELP. 

• 

The results of the present survey show that the commercially 
available kelp beds of the Pacific coast and the annual harvest of 
kelp, with its resultant equivalent of potassium chloride, are as 
follows: 

Area and Tonnage of Pacific Kelp Beds. 


Region. 

Area. 

Fresh kelp. 

Potas¬ 

sium 

chloride. 

Ctedros Island to San Diego. 

Sq. miles. 
91. 4 

97.9 
36.2 

5.0 

141.6 

17.9 

Tons. 
16,979,300 
13,195.3(H) 
4,377,400 
520,000 
15,660,000 
3,367,000 

Tons. 

649,000 

696,000 

167.000 

20,000 

598,000 

136,000 

Dieoo to Point Conception. 

Conception to Cape Flattery. 


'Southeast Alaska. 

Western Alaska.. 

To Lai. 

390.0 

59.305,500 

3,206,000 
































POTASH FROM KELP. 


9 


It is evident from the above that southeastern Alaska and the 
southern California coast offer the best fields, as does also the ex¬ 
tensive stretch along the Mexican coast of Lower California to Cedros 
Island. The annual tonnage for this section, as well as for the 
adjacent section, from San Diego to Point Conception, is based upon 
two cuttings each season. 


POTASH SALTS AVAILABLE. 

The above figures show that the.shallow waters of the Pacific 
coast, within the jurisdiction of the United States, are producing 
each year, without cultivation, a crop which, if simply collected and 
dried, possesses, as a fertilizer, at the customary antebellum prices for 
potash and nitrogen, a value of over $150,000,000. If used as a 
source of commercial potassium chloride, the final product would 
have a value of $90,000,000. 


ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. 

It would appear to be thoroughly feasible to so organize the har¬ 
vesting and drying of kelp along the Pacific littoral that our fer¬ 
tilizer industry can be promptly emancipated from dependence upon 
the potash salts of Germany. 

The data supplied in Dr. Cameron’s report are of far-reaching 
importance, as furnishing a trustworthy basis for the establishment 
upon American soil of domestic production of the salts in question, 
and the subject deserves full consideration in view of the urgent need 
at present for potash compounds by agriculture, manufacturers of 
explosives, glass makers, and nearly every phase of chemical industry. 

IMPORTS OF POTASH SALTS FOR USE AS FERTILIZERS. 

During the fiscal year 1913-14 the importations into the United 
States of potash salts from Germany, for use as fertilizers, amounted 
to 1,060,000 long* tons. This total included 238,000 tons muriate of 
potash (containing about 80 per cent KC1), 45,000 tons of sulphate 
(90 per cent), 261,000 tons manure salts (averaging 20 per cent 
KoO), and 526 tons kainit (averaging 12.4 per cent K 2 0). 

This entire amount was equivalent to 413,000 tons of pure potas¬ 
sium chloride. It represents approximately the current annual needs 
of the American fertilizer industry, as far as potash is concerned. 
Referring to the estimated product of our Pacific coast as tabulated 
above, it constitutes but one-eighth of the annual output theoretically 
available. 

The important problem before American chemical industry is how 
to transform a sufficient portion of this floating mass of kelp into a 
dry product and transport it to our Gulf ports and Atlantic ports at 
a combined cost materially below what has normally been paid in the 
past for cargoes of German potash salts laid down at these points, 
where the fertilizer industry is chiefiv centered. 


10 


POTASH FROM KELP. 


PRICES OF GERMAN POTASH SALTS. 

The prices for the German salts delivered at Gulf and Atlantic 
ports before the outbreak of the present war were as follows: 


Muriate of potash, 80 per cent KC1... 
Sulphate of potash, 90 per cent K 2 SO< 

Manure salts. 

Kainit. 


k 2 o 

(equivalent 
per cent). 

Price 

(short tons). 

50 

$38.05 

48 

46.30 

20 

13.30 

12.4 

8.25 


A discount of 15 per cent from these prices is granted to pur¬ 
chasers of large quantities in bulk c. i. f. 

The ocean freight rates on these salts, in bulk, from Hamburg 
averaged $2.07 per long ton. 

It is probable that transportation rates by water via the Panama 
Canal from San Diego and vicinity would not vary much from the 
Hamburg maritime rate. 

Assuming a freight rate from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast 
of $2 per short ton, and deducting 15 per cent for prices in bulk, 
the cost of production of dried kelp, f. o. b. California ports, should 
be such that it can compete easily with the German salts at the fol¬ 
lowing net rates per short ton: 


Muriate of potash, 80 per cent--_$30. 50 

Sulphate of potash, 90 per cent_ 57.40 

Manure salts___ 9. 00 

Kainit--’_ 5. 30 


COST OF COLLECTING. 

- 

The production of dried kelp as a commercial article involves two 
distinct items of cost—(1) the gathering of fresh or wet kelp, and (2) 
its desiccation, with the incidental charges of storage, handling, 
grinding, and loading on ocean vessels. 

1. The operation of cutting and collecting fresh kelp has now been 
well systematized and organized. As conducted at present, after the 
experience of two or three years, it does not exceed 20 cents per ton. 
(A description of the operation is found on page 4.) 

The amount of dried kelp obtainable from wet kelp varies accord¬ 
ing to the plant. From 100 tons of fresh Macrocystis the average 
yield is 13.2 tons, containing 2.53 tons ICO; from Nereocystis , 8.6 
tons, containing 1.6 tons ICO; from Alarm , 13.7 tons, containing 1.33 
tons ICO. 

Leaving out of question for the time being the Alarm found only 
along the Alaska coast, and considering only the other two varieties, 
it is found that on an average 100 tons of wet kelp yield 10.9 tons of 
dried kelp containing 18.9 per cent ICO, 2 per cent N, and 1.5 per 
cent P 2 0 5 . On this basis the operation of cutting and collecting the 
material for 1 ton of dried kelp costs $1.83. 

COST OF DRYING KELP. 

2. The cost of drying kelp has not yet been made a subject of care¬ 
ful study. On the Mexican coast of South California, rapid air dry- 


















POTASH FROM KELP. 


11 


ing is feasible. Proceeding northward along the coast, climatic con¬ 
ditions become less and less favorable, and artificial drying seems un¬ 
avoidable, According to the locality, kelp might be more or less 
dried by exposure to the open air for a short time. The operation 
could be completed by using a rotating drum or tube, types of which 
are common in various branches of manufacture. The kelp entering 
at one end of a tube issues dry at the other end, and falls upon a 
conveyor. A current of heated air passes through the tube in the 
opposite direction and takes up the moisture. Conditions require the 
removal of about 8.2 pounds of water for each pound of dry kelp 
produced. Laboratory observation shows that kelp is more readily 
dried in such devices than tankage, garbage, and fish scrap, all of 
which are efficiently and economically desiccated in drums or tubes. 

It would appear doubtful whether the additional cost of handling, 
drying, grinding, storage, and loading at San Diego and vicinity 
would much exceed $1 per ton of dried kelp when the industry is 
organized upon an extensive scale. 

Under ordinary circumstances 5 pounds of coal is required for the 
evaporation of 100 pounds of water. The removal of the 8.2 tons of 
water accompanying 1 ton of dried kelp would therefore involve a 
fuel consumption equivalent to 820 pounds of coal. Assuming a price 
of $4 per ton for bituminous coal on the Pacific coast, the cost of dry¬ 
ing 1 ton of kelp would range downward,from a maximum of $1.64. 


VALUE OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORIC ACID PRESENT. 

In considering the value of dried kelp for a fertilizer, especially in 
connection with transportation problems, the amounts of available 
nitrogen and phosphoric acid present are important factors. 

On the basis of 2 per cent of nitrogen and 1.5 per cent of phosphoric 
acid, a short ton of dried kelp contains the equivalent of 258 pounds 
of Chile saltpeter, valued at current rates at $5.93, and of 192 pounds 
of superphosphate (15.5 per cent), value $0.75. The total fertilizer 
value of a short ton of dried kelp, entirely apart from the potash 
present, is therefore $6.68. 

VALUE OF POTASH PRESENT. 

' ' • 

In point of potash content, the dried kelp approaches very closely 
the category of imported German potash salts, termed manure salts, 
with a minimum of 20 per cent K 2 0. On the basis of the rate in the 
table given above, viz. $9.60. the potash in a short ton of dry Cali¬ 
fornia kelp is worth $9.07. 

The total value based upon potash, nitrogen, and phosphoric acid 
is $15.75. 


COST OF PRODUCTION—MARGIN OF PROFIT. 

Against this market value is to be placed the cost of production 
per short ton, as outlined above: 

Cutting and collecting---$L8:> 

Drying-----—-- 1- 04 

Grinding, handling, loading, etc. (estimated)- 1.60 

General expenses, interest, etc. (estimated)----- 1.00 


Total. 


5. 47 








12 


POTASH FROM KELP. 


The margin here of over $10 is such that all closely identified 
with the interest of the fertilizer trade should study the possibilities 
of promptly utilizing the vast resources of our Pacific littoral. We 
have been expending annually for low-grade kainit and manure 
salts $5,330,000. The equivalent supply can be furnished by our own 
kelp beds, without having recourse to other operations than those of 
a purely mechanical nature. 

In the case of the more concentrated muriate and sulphate of 
potash, which we import annually to the value of over $9,800,000, 
the margin of economy would be somewhat lessened, but not mate¬ 
rially. It must not be forgotten that dried kelp, after deduction of 
the normal nitrate and acid phosphate present, carries 21.4 per cent 
of ICO, and is to be regarded as such, when used for making complete 
fertilizers. Unquestionably, with a slight change of formulas and 
standards, the major portion of the muriate and sulphate now im¬ 
ported from Germany for fertilizer purposes could be effectively 
replaced by the American product with pronounced economy on the 
basis of antebellum prices. 

Needless to say, with muriate now selling at $300 per ton instead 
of $38, there is every inducement for the quick utilization of the 
Pacific beds. 


OTHER POTASH COMPOUNDS. 

i 

We import other potash compounds to the value of $1,700,000 
annually, including the carbonate (92,000 tons) and saltpeter (1,580 
tons). The technical processes for the economical separation from 
kelp of potasium chloride in a more or less pure form may require 
time for development, but we can count confidently upon an early • 
solution of the problem and the ultimate emancipation of American 
industrial chemistry from dependence upon a single, distant, foreign 
source of potash. 

SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE POTASH AND DYESTUFF SITUATIONS. 

There is a striking similarity between the dvestuff situation and 
the potash situation in the United‘States. In both cases the country 
possesses the raw material in the greatest abundance, and the con¬ 
sumption of final products is enormous. Yet for both categories of 
compounds the United States depends upon German sources. The 
potash famine and the dyestuff famine, affecting so seriously the in¬ 
terests of American agriculture, of the great textile industries, and 
of scores of allied branches, should work like a leaven to stimulate 
capital and enterprise to bring about a prompt and permanent change 
in the existing dependence upon foreign effort and intelligence. 

JURISDICTION OVER KELP BEDS. 

The kelp beds along the Pacific coast are, with insignificant excep¬ 
tions, inside the 3-mile limit at mean low water, and are subject to 
the jurisdiction of the several States within whose bounds they lie, or 
of the Federal Government in the case of Alaska. The paramount 
right of the Federal Government to regulate commerce and naviga¬ 
tion naturally extends to the areas in question. 

At present the collection of kelp is free to all. Statutory regula¬ 
tion will inevitably be necessary-at-an-early-date in order to give 


POTASH FROM KELP. 


13 


capital the needed assurance of security in making large investments 
and to insure the permanent conservation of the great beds. 

KELP CULTIVATION. 

For the immediate future the potash question evidently demands 
nothing beyond a rapid and intelligent utilization of the immense 
supply of kelp as nature has provided it, due regard being paid 
to the conditions requisite for uninterrupted annual reproduction. 

Dr. Cameron’s monograph cites, however, the occurrence, in small 
quantities, of varieties of kelp which contain notably higher per¬ 
centages of potash than is the case with the three varieties mentioned 
above, found in such abundance and constituting at present the only 
supply of industrial importance. For instance, the variety Pela¬ 
gophycus porra , or elk kelp, has uniformly a. higher content of 
potash than any other known kelp. It is found throughout the area 
of kelp beds off the coast of Lower California, but only in scattered 
groups and single plants along the seaward edge of the great Macro- 
cystis stands. 

There would appear to be here a distinct opportunity for investi¬ 
gation under Federal auspices as to the possibility of eventually 
substituting beds of Pelagophycus for the existing stands of other 
varieties. This would involve an intimate study of the life history 
of the varieties concerned. Apparently the best promise of success 
would be offered by the fields of N ereocystis , which seems to depend 
so largely on annual propagation from the spores formed on the 
leaves. 

As the percentage of potash in Macrocystis is, however, so con¬ 
spicuously inferior to that of Nereocystis, and the former predom¬ 
inates in the localities apparently favorable for the isolated growths 
of Pelagophycus , any study leading to the successful substitution of 
the last mentioned for the chief variety found in the San Diego 
region would be of prime importance. 

Each added per cent of potash in the final product of dried kelp 
diminishes b}^ so much the cost of production and the transportation 
charges per effective unit of alkali, and increases the value of the 
kelp as raw material for the manufacture of technical and pure 
potassium compounds. 

Satisfactory proof that the productive power of the areas, now 
distinctly favorable to the growth of the most valuable variety of 
kelp, are economically susceptible of a pronounced increase, would 
be a powerful factor in attracting capital to this field. 

This report of the Bureau of Soils supplies in a most comprehen¬ 
sive form all of the physical, physiological, and topographical data 
needed by those interested in building up a national industry. It 
is accompanied by 40. fine plates, illustrative of the occurrence, ap¬ 
pearance, life history, and collection of the three important varieties, 
and by a portfolio of 54 large maps, showing in detail the location, 
density, and character of the kelp beds of the Pacific coast, including 
Alaska and a part of Lowfer California. 

The report, with its portfolio of maps, can be obtained by applica¬ 
tion to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing 
Office, Washington; price $2. 


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